# Esoterica Tilbury



## Xodar (Mar 4, 2011)

Ahhh Tilbury.....
This may be the one for me. I normally smoke a wide assortment of different tobaccos throughout the day, but after opening a tin of Tilbury I found myself going back to it and back to it until I had to dig the can I had stashed out of the cellar and order more.

Right out of the tin it screams quality tobacco, which seems consistent with Esoterica offerings. Ribbons of light and dark tobaccos with chunks of broken flake scattered throughout. The tin note is that slightly sour figgy smell that I have come to associate with good aged Virginias. It's somewhat similar to Anni-kake or the H&H Mature VA that Mac Baren puts out, but while I like both those blends a lot the comparison doesn't do Tilbury justice.

Moisture level seems good right out of the tin. You could dry it some, it's not crispy, but I smoke it up with no trouble fresh.

Pack good, char good, taste heavenly. It's easy to light, and has smoked well out of every pipe I have put it in. Today it's smoldering in my calabash shaped Cassano, which is maybe 10 bowls into the break in (probably 5 of those were Tilbury, it may be VA dedicated at some point).

It smokes great. The more I smoke the more I understand the comparisons people make between this and Stoney. VA's up front and tasty, definitely a hint of burley in there with it's nuttiness adding depth to the VA. No casing that I can detect really, although at different times I seem to taste hints of chocolate and occasionally cinnamon.

The taste seems to stay consistent throughout the entire bowl, perhaps seeming a little stronger near the bottom but still delicious. This is one of the few tobaccos I seem to smoke to an ash more than not, but that may be attributed to how delicious it is, I just can't put it down.

Overall, it's a mellow tasty smoke with an above average hit of nicotine. This blend has become my go to smoke morning and night. I am sure my palate will continue to change, but Tilbury is going to be seeing my cellar and my rotation for a long time to come. I can hardly wait to taste what it will be like after a couple years jarred up.


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## Zfog (Oct 16, 2010)

Thanks for the review John, its cool when you smoke a blend and it just clicks. I haven't tried Tilbury yet but I have some on hand once I polish of some open tins.


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## El Gringo (Nov 30, 2010)

I had a tin of this when I was a newer newb than I am now. I liked it lots then...wonder why I didnt re-order; just stupidity I suppose.
Me thinks its time for another go at it.


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## BrewShooter (Mar 17, 2011)

Tilbury has already become a favorite of mine and will be a regular in my slowly growing cellar.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## Pugsley (Jul 12, 2009)

Great review. I've got a tin I bought a couple years ago and just never got around to trying it. After reading this I think it's time.


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## SmoknTaz (Jun 18, 2008)

A good friend of mind sent me a very generous sample of this and it's definitely a keeper for me!


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## italiansmoker (Sep 30, 2009)

Thanks for the review, John. Tilbury had been quite a while in my weekly rotation and I got a bit bored of it. I guess my taste is changing...


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